Today celebrates the birthday of one of the most beloved figures in fantasy film history. Who doesn't like Roddy McDowell?
Born in 1928, McDowell was already acting at age ten. He kept at the trade his entire life, and in fact never seemed to lose his youthful charm. You could still see that ten-year-old boy's gleaming eyes all the way to the end of his career.
Roddy McDowell is known to most for his appearances in the Planet of the Apes movies. Long before Andy Serkis his behind a CGI cloak for his performances, McDowell put on the heavy makeup and his warmth shined through.
McDowell worked with the finest directors of old Hollywood, like John Ford, and Fritz Lang. He was a regular in the classic days of live TV. He did voice work in radio and he appeared in Broadway plays.
Roddy McDowell seemed to be equally comfortable doing comedy, westerns, drama, action. But as I said above, we remember and revere him for his roles in fantasy and horror pictures.
Many classically trained actors made ends meet by taking roles in horror movies. You can sometimes see the mortification in their eyes. Roddy McDowell, like his longtime friend Vincent Price, took the movies on with gleeful relish. He always appeared to be having as much fun making the movies as we did watching them.
The list of great performances McDowell did is long and illustrious: The Poseidon Adventure, The Legend of Hell House, It! (a golem movie, and an early favorite of mine), Hello Down There, The Cool Ones, Batman (he played The Bookworm!), Pretty Maids All in a Row, Arnold, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Martian Chronicles, Cutting Class, Dead of Winter, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Class of 1984.
And, of course, there was the original Planet of the Apes series. Roddy McDowell not only appeared in every one of the films, he was on the TV series.
But there is one role that horror fans cherish the most. It is, of course, that of Peter Vincent, Vampire Slayer, from Fright Night. Vincent was a bumbling TV horror host, and sometime actor in Hammer-style vampire movies. He is approached by teenagers who believe that a real dead vampire lives next door to them. He scoffs, but of course it is true.
Fright Night came out at the tail end of the original slasher cycle, and it was so great to see such a classy, funny, wonderful nod to atmospheric horror of days gone by.
Boris Karloff possibly did better movies, but his swan song is certainly Targets. Vincent Price did Edward Scissorhands at the very end of his life, and it is a fittingly dignified farewell to him for fans. Roddy McDowell did many movies after Fright Night, but it is the one that I think of first when he comes to mind. I consider it to be the capstone of his magnificent career.
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowell died of lung cancer on October 3rd, 1998. He was only seventy years old. I close my eyes and I can see him now, eyes blazing with passion, a cross thrust out to thwart the undead, exclaiming "Back, spawn of Satan!".
Born in 1928, McDowell was already acting at age ten. He kept at the trade his entire life, and in fact never seemed to lose his youthful charm. You could still see that ten-year-old boy's gleaming eyes all the way to the end of his career.
Roddy McDowell is known to most for his appearances in the Planet of the Apes movies. Long before Andy Serkis his behind a CGI cloak for his performances, McDowell put on the heavy makeup and his warmth shined through.
McDowell worked with the finest directors of old Hollywood, like John Ford, and Fritz Lang. He was a regular in the classic days of live TV. He did voice work in radio and he appeared in Broadway plays.
Roddy McDowell seemed to be equally comfortable doing comedy, westerns, drama, action. But as I said above, we remember and revere him for his roles in fantasy and horror pictures.
Many classically trained actors made ends meet by taking roles in horror movies. You can sometimes see the mortification in their eyes. Roddy McDowell, like his longtime friend Vincent Price, took the movies on with gleeful relish. He always appeared to be having as much fun making the movies as we did watching them.
The list of great performances McDowell did is long and illustrious: The Poseidon Adventure, The Legend of Hell House, It! (a golem movie, and an early favorite of mine), Hello Down There, The Cool Ones, Batman (he played The Bookworm!), Pretty Maids All in a Row, Arnold, Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, The Martian Chronicles, Cutting Class, Dead of Winter, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Class of 1984.And, of course, there was the original Planet of the Apes series. Roddy McDowell not only appeared in every one of the films, he was on the TV series.
But there is one role that horror fans cherish the most. It is, of course, that of Peter Vincent, Vampire Slayer, from Fright Night. Vincent was a bumbling TV horror host, and sometime actor in Hammer-style vampire movies. He is approached by teenagers who believe that a real dead vampire lives next door to them. He scoffs, but of course it is true.
Fright Night came out at the tail end of the original slasher cycle, and it was so great to see such a classy, funny, wonderful nod to atmospheric horror of days gone by.
Boris Karloff possibly did better movies, but his swan song is certainly Targets. Vincent Price did Edward Scissorhands at the very end of his life, and it is a fittingly dignified farewell to him for fans. Roddy McDowell did many movies after Fright Night, but it is the one that I think of first when he comes to mind. I consider it to be the capstone of his magnificent career.
Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowell died of lung cancer on October 3rd, 1998. He was only seventy years old. I close my eyes and I can see him now, eyes blazing with passion, a cross thrust out to thwart the undead, exclaiming "Back, spawn of Satan!".
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